Part 11 (1/2)
”It was a two day trip and I got here early the second day because I wanted to have Thanksgiving with Jason and Sherrill.”
”This is more spiritual, but I'm grateful to the Lord for continuing to work on me, whether through adversity or blessing. The last few months have been a period of real refinement and I'm blessed by it, though it's been hard.”
”When you say a period of refinement, are you referring to the DUI? Of course, I won't ask questions about each and every thing you mention.”
”Mostly. I've started looking upon this season of my life as a season of grace. I'm asking myself every day, 'Where can I spot those moments?' That potluck in DUI cla.s.s was one of them.”
”Yeah? I wish I could have been in cla.s.s for that. I love that you're watching out for the moments of grace.”
”It does change the way I go through the day.”
”I'm glad I get to be part of this season of grace.”
”How many is that, 2?”
”That was 2.”
”3. Though it may be boring and I'm paid in peanuts, I'm grateful to have been working at the same place for several years. Yesterday, when I was in a jovial mood, I was teasing and goofing around with my coworkers and was struck with a sense of joy for that. I've been able to know and talk to some of them for a long time.”
”4. I'm always grateful for my family. I'm glad my brother and I have been closer this year and Micah and Asher are reaching an age of being fun to talk to. And my parents and I are speaking to each other with more honesty and kindness these days.”
”Was there a time when you and your parents weren't on good terms?”
”In college it was bad. It's been good over the past few years but there are always the hang-ups or things you don't see eye to eye about. But now they are older and seeing things with a new perspective and I'm much softer toward my hometown and family.”
”That's good. One of these days you have to tell me more about your college days. It's a part of you I don't really understand.”
”How many did you say to name? Was it 4?”
”5.”
”This might take awhile.”
”That's okay. I have all night :)”
”5. You said you were glad to be part of this season of grace. I'm not sure what to write here because you are such a huge part of it I'm not sure I can express it. I am grateful for you, Jessie. We joke a lot and I say I'm the luckiest son of a gun in the world, but I mean it. Knowing you has filled me with joy, and when people say, 'You're glowing,' I smile because I know I am. You make me glow. Your tenderness, your compa.s.sion, your earnestness-they have profoundly moved me. I am bowled over with grat.i.tude.”
”Press here to blush?”
”That I could spend my birthday with you, for Cafe Jacqueline, for homeless men saying 'nice kiss,' for baseball games and train rides, for cookies in the mail and times to make ceviche. I enjoy being with you immeasurably. I am grateful for how you make me laugh and how you laugh. I'm grateful for goodnight texts and soft whispers on the phone. And every minute I've been able to spend with you.”
”I don't know what to write, except to say thanks for thinking the world of me. I've enjoyed all those times too.”
”I'm glad.”
”We've made some wonderful memories, haven't we?”
”We have. We do laugh a lot. Now, I believe it's your turn.”
”Oohhh, it's kind of late.”
”Alright then...goodnight, buddy.”
”Hmmmm, let's see...”
Chapter Sixteen.
Angelica's last cla.s.s. Gladys', as well. They said they were going to get pizza after cla.s.s. Walter introduced the new girl, Courtney. Professional looking blonde, short hair, blue eyes and nice teeth.
Samantha (the actress/karaoke host) said, ”This isn't like other cla.s.ses. Walter is cool. He makes it fun.” She jabbed me in the shoulder. ”Isn't that right?”
I nodded agreement. Walter asked Courtney to tell her story. She lived in Tarzana but worked in Culver City. She'd been to a party in Santa Clarita. She drank too much and realized on the road it was a bad idea, so she pulled over on the shoulder of the highway and parked. She called a friend and was talking to him on the phone when the cop stopped behind her.
Several commented, ”You were trying to do the right thing. That's terrible.”
”I know!”
Walter interjected. ”The L.A. County P.D. is known as a legal gang. I had a student who was a wealthy producer. She was in her 60s, about 5-foot-2, couldn't have been more than 95 pounds-and that's soaking wet. She got pulled over by the L.A. County P.D. She got out of the car, happy and giggling, and told the officer she was drunk. He didn't call for backup. Didn't call for a female officer. He threw her to the ground and broke her shoulder in six places. She brought the x-rays to cla.s.s. It looked like one of those nails-in-wood pictures, crooked and all over the place. Well, she still got a DUI but is suing them for a million dollars, and she'll win.”
”It's not fair,” said Courtney. ”They're such bullies.”
Courtney refused the breathalyzer, an automatic year's suspension of her license. She'd begun to realize the weight of her situation. ”They shouldn't have that much power. I'm going to have to drive with a suspended license, anyway. I don't have a choice with my job. It's either that or I'll go on unemployment and drink all day.”
Angelica stepped out of the room and returned shortly carrying three pizza boxes. Her last cla.s.s and she'd decided to feed us dinner. We stood and helped ourselves to pizza and leftover c.o.ke from the potluck. Courtney continued her story while we ate. The cop (”that little punk”) maced her. She'd argued with him, and had also been smoking medical marijuana at the time. ”I get migraines,” she said.
”They put me in jail. I never got a phone call. Never got medical attention. Is there any way I can get the number of the woman with the broken shoulder? I want to start a campaign against the L.A. County Police. They have too much power.”
At seven, Gladys and Angelica stood to leave. Walter asked Gladys what she had learned from the cla.s.s.
”Everybody wants to get drunk,” she said. ”You have a hard day, you need something to take the stress off. When I get drunk now, I get a designated driver. I told my kid, 'If you get drunk, call me for a ride.'”
”Did you like the AA programs?” Walter asked.
”They've been okay. I liked the stories. A few of the people scared me, though. But I got to know some of the others and still bring them cookies every now and then.”
Walter stepped out from behind his desk. ”I will now give the podium to Angelica.”
Angelica, wearing black driving gloves, a scarf and tall-heeled boots, stood at Walter's desk and began talking in a tough, Brazilian accent. ”Alright, sit down. There will be no food or drink in this cla.s.s. You will sit there and stay quiet for three hours. You think you don't want to be here? Well, how do you think I feel? I have to stay here with you criminals all night. That's what you are is a bunch of criminals...”
She stopped and smiled, then looked at Walter.
”That's what this cla.s.s could have been, but you made it fun. You treated us like people, not criminals. Thank you, Walter. If I ever see you on the street, you can come right up to me and say, 'It's Walter, your DUI instructor,' and I will be happy to talk to you. You made this cla.s.s enjoyable. I've told everyone before, but when my DUI happened, I became so depressed I didn't think there was any way I could deal with it. But you helped me get through it.”